This article argues that prospective teachers who have the most productive experiences within pre-student teaching field experiences are those whose field sites allow them to become members of communities of practice, the conditions of which, according to Wenger (1998) include joint enterprise, mutual engagement, and shared repertoire. Employing…

Studying to be a teacher in their local community is not normal practice for student teachers in New Zealand initial teacher education (ITE) programs. This paper argues that student teachers in a distance ITE program who are familiar with the local school community can benefit from the experience. This qualitative study centered on a distance…

This study aimed to evaluate the Pre-service Teachers' (PSTs') field experience-related perceptions and the qualities of their written reflections. Two thousand four hundred journal entries written by 75 teacher candidates were analyzed to classify their qualities. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with all of the subjects.…

Thirty-two pre-service special education teachers carried out a 14-week informal practicum arranged for the purposes of this research to accompany the three classes they were taking in their program of study and to provide them with the needed setting and opportunities for hands-on experiences and reflection as they construct an understanding of…

This paper examined undergraduate pre-service teachers' perceptions of their expectations, fulfilment of these expectations and the relevance of their coursework for classroom practices during three different practicum attachments. These aspects were assessed using questionnaires implemented at the end of each attachment. One-way ANOVA with…

Currently, Australian teacher education programs include professional experiences as a means of enhancing preservice teacher understanding about teaching and the profession. The challenge the programs face is the lack of places available in schools and, at times, the unpredictable quality of the placements as some teachers are time-poor, are not…

The purpose of this study is to investigate how of a group of prospective teachers' beliefs and perceptions about teaching (as a profession) change as they complete a teacher education program offered by the Curriculum and Instruction Department at an Eastern U.S. University. Considering the fact that there is quite a difference between…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore 71 secondary preservice teachers' attitudes about and experiences with sharing their content area as well as recreational writing with teenage students. Methodology: Preservice teachers who were enrolled in a required secondary content area literacy course in a Midwest university, including 48 in a…

Over the last 50 years, there has been ample research dedicated to mathematics anxiety in contexts of teaching and learning. However, there has been less attention focused on pre-service teachers' anxieties about teaching mathematics in classroom settings. This study analyzed pre-service teachers' reflections at the conclusion of an elementary…

A crucial element in any teacher training programme is teaching practice. Terms such as practicum, refers to teaching practice which is embedded in the teacher training programme itself. Such stints become more challenging for a teacher, for their teaching would be observed and assessed by a teacher educator. The purpose of this study was to…

Classroom-based experiences, alternatively known as practica, are an integral component of undergraduate teacher preparation programs, which provide students essential opportunities to apply knowledge in practice. Though much is known about student teaching, much less is known about students' earlier classroom-based experiences. This…

This research examined preservice teachers' knowledge of emotional and behavioural disorders (EBD) and their sense of efficacy. The participants included a convenience sample of 230 undergraduate general education and special education preservice teachers enrolled in teacher education classes. The age of the participants ranged from 19 to 51 with…

Practicum experiences are an extremely critical component to any teacher education program. Yet how pre-service teachers are included in classrooms can be organized in multiple ways and is influenced by many factors. Structurally, universities must consider school schedules and student course offering schedules. More important is ensuring…

This study investigates how peer assessment contributes to enhancing student teachers' preparation during field experience. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 72 student teachers. The findings showed that the student teachers have positive beliefs about peer assessment. They think that it can be beneficial if some changes are made in…

This article reports findings from a mixed-method investigation of a cohort of teacher candidates who were placed in an urban and culturally diverse practicum site at an elementary school. Fifteen preservice teachers completed pre- and posttest measures related to hope, motivation for teaching, and efficacy for teaching. Throughout the semester,…